Barbecue Secrets

Tips and recipes for hosting a great holiday open house

Hey
barbecue fans. Happy Holidays! I hope you had a great Christmas.
For many of us, the festivities don't stop between now and 2014,
whether you're entertaining relatives, hosting a festive open house
or planning a New Year's Eve party. Here are a few tips and some
tasty recipes to make your entertaining easy, fun and
delicous.

How important is planning ahead?

Be
prepared and you and your guests will have way more
fun.

Do as
much food prep in advance as possible. If you're grilling, have
everything ready to go before the party starts.

Rearrange
your furniture to make it easy for people to mingle and access the
food.

Be
sure you have lots of ice.

Greet
your guests in holiday style by offering them a special cocktail
when they arrive. (See drink recipes at the end of this
post.)

What are the best kinds of food to serve?

The
best food strategy is to make dishes that won't occupy a huge
amount of your time at the party so you can visit with your
guests.

Go
for bright colours and big, bold flavours to make it
festive

Have
lots of protein to soak up the alcohol and be sure you've got some
options for vegetarians and gluten-free organically grown
hipsters

Don't
forget about the non-drinkers. Do something special for them like a
non-alcoholic punch or some fancy soft drinks.

Try
to showcase local products at your party. It's a great way to
spread the word about the wonderful foods that are produced in your
area.

What else can you do to make a holiday party a
success?

Here
are a few more stray tips for making your event a memorable
one.

Don't
forget about music, it really helps create a festive atmosphere.
Put together a long playlist ahead of time so you don't have to be
always tending to the stereo.

Accept
offers from your foodie friends to bring something yummy to the
party, and don't be afraid to suggest dishes that fit with whatever
theme you've got going. It's fun for them, and it makes it easier
for you.

Okay,
enough free advice. Here are some recipes to make your holiday
party super delish!

Grilled Stuffed Mushrooms

Makes
24 hors d’oeuvres

This
classic stuffed mushroom recipe, adapted from an
old Gourmet magazine, is wonderful on the
grill.

Carefully
remove the stems from the mushrooms and finely chop 1 cup of the
stems, discarding the rest. Mince the sun-dried tomatoes.
Brush the mushroom caps with some of the reserved tomato oil and
arrange them on a baking sheet, stemmed side up. Cook the shallot
and garlic in the remaining tomato oil in a large skillet over
low-medium heat, stirring occasionally, until softened. Stir in the
reserved mushroom stems, minced tomatoes, thyme, salt, and pepper.
Cook the mixture, stirring occasionally, for 5–10 minutes, or until
the liquid has evaporated and the mixture is thick. Stir in the
cream, divide the mixture among the mushroom caps, and sprinkle
them with the Parmesan.

Preheat
the grill on medium-high for 5–10 minutes, or until the chamber
temperature rises above 500°F | 260°C. Quickly and carefully place
the mushrooms on the grill. Reduce the heat to low and cook them,
with the grill cover closed, for 10–15 minutes, or until the
filling has heated through.

Bacon-wrapped
Oysters

Makes
4–6 appetizer-sized portions

This
simple, old-fashioned way to grill oysters makes a great party
appetizer.

1
pint | 500 mL container of large, fresh, shucked oysters

(about
a dozen oysters)

1/4
lb | 125 g thinly sliced bacon, each slice cut in half

kosher
salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Louisiana-style
hot sauce

Fry
the bacon over medium heat in a heavy skillet until it’s cooked but
not quite crispy. Place the cooked bacon strips on a paper towel
and set them aside.

Prepare
your grill for direct high heat. Drain the oysters and pat them dry
with a paper towel. Wrap half a slice of cooked bacon around each
oyster, skewering it with a wooden toothpick. Place the oysters on
the cooking grate and grill them for 2 or 3
minutes per side, or until the bacon crisps and the oysters are
cooked through and just starting to char. Remove them from the
heat, place them on a platter, season them with salt and pepper,
and pass them around with a bottle of hot sauce.

Rack of Lamb with Balsamic Reduction

Makes
4 main course servings or 8 appetizer servings

This
is a delicious way to grill lamb racks. The balsamic reduction has
an incredible sweet tanginess that offsets the earthiness of the
dried herbs and brings out the flavor of the meat. Serve the racks
cut into chops as an appetizer, or as a main course with rice,
grilled asparagus, and a nice green salad.

4
racks of lamb, Frenched by your butcher

(trimmed
to bare the ribs and remove the silverskin – lots of lamb is
pre-packaged this way)

kosher
salt to taste

2
Tbsp | 25 mL lemon juice

1/2
cup | 125 mL extra virgin olive oil

2
Tbsp | 25 mL Dijon mustard

1
Tbsp | 15 mL chopped fresh rosemary

1/2
tsp | 2 mL freshly ground black pepper

2
cloves garlic, smashed or pushed through a garlic press

1 cup
| 250 mL balsamic vinegar

2
Tbsp | 25 mL Dijon mustard

1
Tbsp | 15 mL granulated garlic

1
Tbsp | 15 mL granulated onion

1/2
tsp | 2 mL cayenne

1/2
cup | 125 mL Mediterranean Dried Herb Rub (see recipe
below)

1
Tbsp | 15 mL olive oil

sprigs
of fresh mint, for garnish

One
to two hours before you are going to cook the lamb racks, lightly
season the lamb with salt. Combine the lemon juice, 1/2 cup | 50 mL
oil, 2 Tbsp | 25 mL mustard, rosemary, pepper, and fresh garlic in
a nonreactive baking dish or resealable plastic bag. Add the racks,
turning them once or twice to ensure they are evenly exposed to the
marinade.

While
the lamb is marinating, pour the balsamic vinegar in a small
saucepan and bring it to a boil over medium-high heat. Cook it,
watching it carefully, until the vinegar has reduced to about 1/2
its original
volume (10–15 minutes). It should be a thick syrup that coats the
back of a spoon. Set it aside to cool.

Prepare
your grill for medium direct heat. Take the lamb out of the
marinade, pat the racks dry with paper towels, and brush them with
the remaining 2 Tbsp | 25 mL mustard. Combine the granulated
garlic, onion, and cayenne in a small bowl and sprinkle the mixture
lightly over the lamb racks. Coat the racks generously with the
herb rub, patting it on with your hands so it sticks to the meat.
Drizzle the olive oil over the rubbed racks and pat it into the
rub.

Using
cherry wood as a flavoring agent (optional), grill the racks for
4—5 minutes per side, or until the internal temperature at the
thickest point is 135–140˚F | 57–60˚C. To serve, cut the racks into
individual chops, arrange them on plates, and drizzle them with the
balsamic reduction. Garnish the lamb with sprigs of fresh
mint.

Mediterranean Dried Herb Rub

Makes
enough to coat several racks of lamb or a whole leg of lamb or pork
roast

These
days, food lovers tend to shy away from dried herbs in favor of the
fresh ones that are so readily
available. We tend to associate unpleasantly stale, dirty flavors
with dried herbs, but that’s probably because we use them so rarely
that the ones in our pantry are too old. Dried herbs, when used
within a few months of purchasing them, can add a wonderful
earthiness and complexity to grilled foods. In fact, the high heat
of grilling often destroys the delicate flavors of fresh herbs. In
most cases fresh herbs, other than the very strong rosemary and
sage, are best used after your meat is off the grill, as a finely
chopped sprinkle to add color and aroma. Use this rub for meats
like chicken and pork, but it also works well with grilled
vegetables. Just toss the veggies with oil and sprinkle them with
the rub and some kosher salt.

1
Tbsp | 15 mL dried (not powdered) oregano

1
Tbsp | 15 mL dried mint

1
Tbsp | 15 mL dried basil

1
Tbsp | 15 mL dried rosemary

1 tsp
| 5 mL dried parsley

Combine
all the ingredients in a bowl and mix them together
well.

Super-Simple and Incredibly Delicious Grilled Beef
Tenderloin

This
tasty and spectacular dish is excellent warm or at room temperature
if you want to make it ahead of time.

For
the condiment:

¼ cup
grainy mustard

¼ cup
mayonnaise

1
Tbsp | 15 mL prepared horseradish

1
Tbsp | 15 mL freshly squeezed lemon juice

For
the roast:

1
whole beef tenderloin, trimmed

3
Tbsp | 50 mL course salt (like Malden Salt or French Fleur de
Sel)

3
Tbsp | 50 mL coarsely ground black pepper

3
Tbsp | 50 mL dried rosemary

1 tsp
| 5 mL granulated onion or onion powder

1 tsp
| 5 mL granulated onion or garlic powder

½ tsp
| 3 mL cayenne pepper

Olive
oil

Mixed
lettuce greens

Hardwood
chips for flavour (cherry, hickory, mesquite or apple)

Preheat
your grill for medium direct cooking.

Mix
the salt, black pepper, rosemary, onion and garlic powder and
cayenne together and sprinkle the mixture evenly on a large
chopping board or a baking sheet. Roll the tenderloin in the
mixture to coat it evenly. Drizzle some olive oil on the seasoned
roast to moisten the spices. If you’re using hardwood chips
as a flavouring agent, wrap them in foil, poke the package with a
fork, put it under the cooking grate and wait until it starts
throwing off some smoke.

When
the grill is ready, place the tenderloin on the cooking grate
and cover the grill. Cook the roast for about 15 or 20 minutes,
turning it often, until a meat thermometer reads 120F at the
thickest part of the roast. Remove the roast from the grill and
transfer it to a cutting board. Loosely wrap the meat in foil and
let it rest for about half an hour.

To
serve, carve the tenderloin into ½-inch rounds and present it on a
bed of fresh greens on a platter or cutting board accompanied by
the condiment.

DRINKS FOR THE HOLIDAYS

Pimm’s No. 1 Cup and Ginger

Makes
1 drink

These
sneaky little cocktails are innocuous enough, until you’ve had a
couple and your face starts to feel as if it’s made of
rubber.

11/2
| 45 mL oz Pimm’s No. 1 Cup liqueur

cold
ginger ale

1
orange slice

1
cucumber slice (optional)

Fill
a highball glass with ice, pour in the liqueur, top it with ginger
ale, and garnish the drink with an a slice of orange and cucumber,
if you like.

Kir

Makes
1 drink

Hand
one of these to your guests as they arrive and suddenly it’s a
special occasion.

1/2
oz | 15 mL crème de cassis

4 oz
| 120 mL crisp dry white wine

(white
Burgundy Aligoté is the classic)

Pour
the crème de cassis into a white wine glass. Gently pour the wine
over top, taking care not to mix them too much. The drink should
look like a clear version of a Tequila Sunrise, with the heavier
cassis lurking at the bottom. (For an extra-special Kir Royale,
subsitute chilled champagne for the white wine.)